(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera)

Verdi’s “Macbeth” may be a major repertory staple, but its Met history is actually not as extensive as one might imagine. In sum, the Verdi opera has appeared just 105 times in the company’s history. When it returns on Wednesday, Sept. 25, the company will be reviving it for the first time in five years.

Here is a look at the opera’s numerous interpreters in the two major roles since its premiered in 60 years ago in 1959.

Replacing Callas

The opera was originally set to be a vehicle for Maria Callas, but the historic opening for the work was never meant to be. However, the company got Leonie Rysanek who managed to deliver a performance for the ages in the opening, despite dealing with abuse from displeased fans who wanted Callas instead.

“Seldom does any soprano, especially on a debut register so dramatically. No matter that the Met held the lights, the curtain and the music to allow the third act ovation to exhaust its full force. The point is that the soprano had built up a magnificent head of audience steam. She may well cherish this performance forevermore as ‘a, or the, peak of her career,’” said a review by Variety from that night.

Rysanek would appear in the role 15 times over the course of her Met career.

In that opening performance, she appeared alongside Leonard Warren, who would essay the Verdian-Shakespearean character on 11 other occasions.

Big Stars With Few Appearances

Anselmo Colzani and Irene Dalis would be tasked with working in performances of the roles throughout the Rysanek-Warren run, both getting a total of six performances each in 1962; Dalis would also get performances in 1960 and 1964.

Grace Bumbry would also get six formal performances of the opera in 1973, though she would get an additional one as part of the Verdi Festival at Newport in 1967; the performance would be paired with “Inno delle Nazioni.”

Martina Arroyo got eight shows during the 1973 run of the opera.

Years down the line, you could add the likes of Thomas Hampson as a major star who appeared six times in the role during one season.

Dominant Forces

Sherrill Milnes made his first appearance as “Macbeth” in 1973 and would dominate the role 14 times that year and another 24 between 1982-84. To this day, he holds the record for most interpretations of the title role at the Met Opera.

Not to be overlooked is Renata Scotto who appeared in 24 performances in 1982-84, by far the most of any soprano to date in the role of Lady Macbeth.

A Lengthy Hiatus

The opera did get some performances in the late 1980s, but those are remembered most for the incident on Jan. 23, 1988 when an audience member jumped to his death from the balcony and the performance was subsequently canceled. Shirley Verrett appeared once in the role and Justino Diaz was among the cast members in several performances, but after this run, the opera would disappear from the Met stage for close to 20 years.

While Maria Guleghina was the soprano of renowned, taking on the role seven times that season, it was the debut of Zeljko Lucic that would lead to a longer partnership. The baritone has performed the opera 12 times in his career, including two HD broadcasts. He is set for three more performances this season as well and will pass Warren for second-most interpretations of the title role in Met history.

He would get a revival of the opera in 2014 alongside Anna Netrebko, who has become the Lady Mabeth interpreter of her generation. She has essayed the role seven times at the Met and this season is set for another five performances, which would bring her total to 12. That would vaunt her behind Scotto and Rysanek for most performances of this particular role in Met History.